6 Signs You're Trapped in Brand Shame
Part 2 of 4
Last week I opened up a can of worms around brand shame, money, and visibility which, for many of us, can be really uncomfortable. (If you missed Part 1, you can squirm over here.) I hope you also walked away with hope and possibility that you don't have to continue holding back. There's a way forward.
What does brand shame look and feel like? Here are the top 6 signs to watch for:
You’re wasting precious time scrolling Pinterest, stalking your competitors, reading Fiverr reviews, or [insert your own special paralysis poison here].
You think if your brand looked like [insert another successful business owner's name], then you'd magically be more confident and all your problems would be solved.
You're so worried about everyone else that you forgot the most important people—you and your clients.
Every time you need to create graphics or share content, it takes forever as you fall down the Canva rabbit hole again, searching for the right template, colors, fonts, or logos to use, so you give up and post nothing.
You never stopped to create a solid brand strategy (and you're not sure what that even means) before creating your brand identity.
Your toolbox of brand assets is woefully small, so you feel like all your content looks the same and is a total snoozefest.
Can you see the brand shame spiral? Overwhelm, insecurity, comparison, indecision, imposter syndrome, wasted time and energy, and the list goes on. All of these things keep you broke because they keep you from being wonderfully, visibly you—the you that someone is waiting to hire!
The good news is all of these mistakes can be fixed by getting intentional with your brand and getting some help from a pro.
Think of your brand like your wardrobe.
Just like a personal stylist can help you level up your confidence in your personal image and make it easy to get dressed in the morning, a brand designer helps you level up your business image and makes visibility easier. (Remember: visibility = clients = profit) It may not take away all the jitters of doing "your thing" (speaking, promoting, going live), but you know that when you do show up, you're excited and confident about the image you're putting out into the world. And isn't that half the battle?
Imagine this scenario... You have an important event coming up, perhaps a wedding, reunion, or business event, and in your overflowing closet, you have absolutely nothing to wear. Of course, you have lots of things you could wear but nothing feels right. You've lost all confidence in what's in style, event appropriate, or flattering on you. And that's when panic sets in.
Sure you could go shopping, cruise the mall, flip through the latest issue of Vogue, watch What Not to Wear reruns, and even drop some serious coin, and you still might feel like crap. This is the fashion equivalent of scrolling Instagram or Pinterest, reading Fiverr reviews, stalking your competitors, or trying to figure it out all by yourself as a way to uplevel your brand. You have no idea what you're doing and are no closer to a confident solution.
Here's the best part. You don't have to figure it out all by yourself!
And the sooner you stop beating yourself about things that you don't know and, quite frankly, shouldn't expect yourself to know, the better.
Next week we'll talk about what it feels like to work with a pro, whether you're updating your wardrobe or your brand. Both will make you feel like a million bucks and, more importantly, once you start showing up with more confidence and ease, the business growth will happen—I promise! But don't take my word for it. Here's what my clients say about their new-found brand confidence:
“Impressions are everything, and branding with Michelle finally reflects my value and confidence to my clients!” – Carole-Anne
“Having a cohesive brand has created an internal shift for me. I talk about my work in a steadier, more confident way thanks to Michelle.” – Gloria
“I truly couldn't be happier. Every time I see a social post, visit my website, or produce another proposal, I'm excited to see and share my work in the world!” – Erin
If you're tired of holding back because your brand isn't pulling its weight, reach out and book a free call. I can't wait to help you show up with more confidence and ease. ☺️